Hearty Red Beans & Rice

Smoky sausage and ham infuse this simple rice and beans dish with
incomparable taste. Make it whenever you want a savory, satisfying dish
that has a touch of spicy kick.

Hearty Red Beans & Rice
from Crisco® Collection

Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small green *or* red pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 of a 14-ounce package smoked sausage, cut into thin slices
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 cup Swanson® Chicken Broth *or* Swanson® Chicken Stock
2 cans (about 15 ounces *each*) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups regular long-grain white rice, prepared according to package
directions (about 6 cups)
Chopped green onion
Hot pepper sauce

1. Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onion,
green pepper, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until the
vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the ham, sausage,
bay leaf and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Stir the broth, beans, cayenne pepper and black pepper in the
saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes
or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Remove and discard the
bay leaf.

3. Spoon the bean mixture over the rice. Serve with the green onion and
hot sauce.

/Ingredient Note:/ While the bay leaf infuses wonderful flavor into this
dish, it is important to remove it before serving. Even after cooking,
bay leaves are too tough to eat.

/Easy Substitution:/ You can substitute Swanson® Beef Broth *or* Beef
Stock for the Swanson® Chicken Broth *or* Stock in this recipe.
Makes: 8 servings (about 2 cups each).

Kitchen Clip
                              Whenever a recipe is served with cooked rice, it's a good idea
to start the rice before tackling the dish itself so everything is ready
together. The rice can sit, covered off heat, for several minutes after
it's done.
Received on Wed Apr 13 17:59:35 2011